Madurai airport remains underdeveloped, says Sellur Raju

MADURAI: Unlike Thoothukudi airport, which saw major upgrades on par with international standards, Madurai airport has been awaiting a similar transformation for a long time, AIADMK MLA Sellur K Raju (Madurai West) said on Saturday.

He credited Thoothukudi MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi for bringing such development to her constituency and noted that Tiruchy airport was also upgraded with modern infrastructure to suit the demands of air passengers.

After the DMK came to power in 2021, PTR Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, said lands would be acquired for the expansion of Madurai airport in two months; however, no progress has been made to date, he told reporters in Madurai.

Pointing out that the Mullaperiyar drinking water project initiated during the AIADMK regime aimed at providing potable water to the households in a hundred wards of Madurai city, he said that the DMK didn't take effective measures in relation to the project when voted to power. Pipelines to supply water were not laid properly, with water leaking from pipes, causing waterlogging on streets.

Even after the project was commissioned by Chief Minister MK Stalin during his visit to Madurai on December 7, not all households in the city have access to clean drinking water, he said, adding that many residents complain of receiving drinking water mixed with sewage.

Condemning the administration failures and corruption allegations in Madurai Corporation, the AIADMK will stage a protest on December 17, he said.